Animal Photographer - Steve Grubman » Photographer

Westminster Again…

Steve Grubman — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:41:37 +0000

Well, another year has gone by, and that means another Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

This year brought a change in venues, and that posed some interesting photographic challenges. The preliminary judging was held at 2 mammoth piers along the Hudson River, while the Best in Group and Best in Show events were conducted in the evenings at Madison Square Gardens.

The task of shooting 16 hour days, with 130 competitions over 200,000 feet of of convention spanning 2 miles of Midtown Manhattan was a monumental task. Limited access, multiple lighting scenarios, tight scheduling and deadlines all need to be anticipated and overcome in order to deliver the perfect shots to the client

But in the end, it’s another chance to push my self to my limits, doing the thing that I love.

A New Year Begins!

Steve Grubman — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:40:26 +0000

Happy New Year!

As 2011 wound down, I learned that 2 of my photos had been selected as winners in the APA National Photo Contest; 1st place landscape & 2nd place lifestyle.

Also, as promised, here are a few of my favorites images from the National Dog Show in Philadelphia. This was our first time photographing this show for Purina, and we had a great time. Being a bit less restrictive than other shows, I was able capture some intimate moments behind the scenes and had great angles on the show floor. The worst part of such great access was getting hit in the head by NBC’s automated camera boom…
but that’s the cost of getting the shot!

We even took time to do a bit of sightseeing, taking in the Liberty Bell,
Ben Franklin’s Grave, and the oldest paved street in America.

Next month we’re back in NYC for the granddaddy of them all, the Westminster Dog Show. I’ll be sure to post about that, as well as some other interesting assignments and exotic travel planned for 2012, so do check back.

Circus Time!

Steve Grubman — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:50:18 +0000

I often feel like I’ve got the best job in the world.

During a recent shoot for a European pharmaceutical company we brought six beautiful, female Asian elephants to my Chicago studio. Among all the animals with which I’ve had the privilege to work, I think the elephant is my favorite. Despite their large size, these beauties could not have been gentler. As I shot each one, we kept a second elephant nearby to help make the subject more comfortable. As the handler put it, “Wouldn’t you feel more relaxed in a strange environment if you had a friend with you?” The “friend” hung out behind the camera, sniffing me from head to toe with her trunk as I worked, sometimes unwittingly adjusting my camera angle along the way. Perhaps she had her own idea of the perfect shot she wanted to share with me!

This is one of my favorite photos from the shoot, but I also love the behind the scenes shots that we captured. Click this link for more elephant photos from that great afternoon.